The Power of a Personal Touch: What Personalization Can Do for Your Direct Mail Campaign

In our world where anything – from a car to a pair of pants to a fruit salad – can be purchased online without interacting with a single human face-to-face, consumers are craving something different.

More than ever, personalization in your marketing is the neon sign you need to make your business stand out to consumers and show that you are dedicated to their specific likes, wants, and needs. This could look like adding a customer’s first name to an email, suggesting similar items to a customer based on previous purchases, or even sending a personalized letter in the mail for a customer’s birthday.

One key channel where personalization really helps you win is direct mail. Adding personal touches to direct mail pieces can increase response rates, enhance customer loyalty, improve the ROI of your campaign, help you tailor your message, and make your campaign stand out. Here’s how:

Increase response rates: Personalization can increase response rates for direct mail campaigns (which are already high when compared to other marketing channels) by up to 50%, according to a study by the Direct Marketing Association. And that’s just if you target customers one-to-one! You can up response rates 135% by adding a person’s name and using full color, and 500% by using a person’s name, using full color, and adding more sophisticated database information. By tailoring your message to the recipient’s interests and needs, you can make your mail piece more engaging and relevant, increasing the likelihood of a response.

Enhance customer loyalty: Personalization can help build stronger relationships with customers by showing that you understand their needs and preferences. According to a survey by Epsilon, 80% of consumers are more likely to do business with a company if it offers personalized experiences. Furthermore, a study by Infosys found that 86% of consumers say personalization plays a role in their purchasing decisions, and 25% of consumers are more likely to make a repeat purchase if they receive personalized offers. Consumers appreciate a personal approach, especially if they have already purchased from or worked with you in the past. It makes them feel like you remember them as a person rather than a dollar sign, and that you care about their relationship with your agency, product, or service.

Improve ROI: Personalization can also improve the return on investment (ROI) for direct mail campaigns. According to the Data & Marketing Association, the median ROI for direct mail is 29%, but personalization can increase that number by as much as 135%, meaning the effectiveness of your campaign is quadrupled, which will make you and your marketing budget happy.

Tailor your message: Personalization allows you to target specific audiences based on demographics, location, and purchasing behavior. This can help you tailor your message to the right audience, increasing the chances of a response. According to the United States Postal Service, targeted direct mail campaigns can generate 10 times more response than non-targeted campaigns.

Make your campaign stand out: Personalization can help your direct mail piece stand out from the other pieces of mail that recipients receive. According to a study by Canada Post, direct mail is more memorable than digital media, requiring 21% less cognitive effort to process. If you can create a memorable personalized impression on a colorful, well-designed direct mail piece, consumers are more likely to remember it when they are ready to make a purchase. 70% of Americans believe direct mail is more personal than email, (Direct Marketing Association), so taking the time to tailor your pieces to each recipient already builds off of positive consumer perceptions and applies them to your brand.

How do you personalize direct mail pieces?

 Well, you write each customer’s name on an individualized postcard one-by-one…just kidding! There’s tech for that!

Automated Prospect Marketing

Let automation take over the personalization process by using a tool like Automated Prospect Marketing (APM). APM is an all-in-one tool that builds marketing materials automatically based on relevant data integrated from your CRM or database, and it auto-updates when any data changes. The tool is accessible wherever you are, and instantly generates marketing collateral including postcards, flyers and brochures that can be mailed or shipped to target prospects, and digital posts that can be shared directly to social channels. It also auto-generates radius lists for direct mail campaigns,

Automated Direct Mail

Looking for a solution that you can use on an even larger scale? Check out automated direct mail. Automated Direct Mail (ADM) uses an online platform system to automatically send out direct mail campaigns based on factors, or triggers, you choose. Once a trigger is chosen, like a service reminder or a renewal notice based on a certain date, the system will send out personalized mailers to your client base without any effort on your part.

What about data privacy?

This is a great question to ask when considering how and when to implement personalization strategies in your marketing. Customers certainly want a balance between privacy and feeling understood by a business, but they may be accepting of marketers utilizing their personal information than you think – as long as you use it respectfully, and it provides a better experience for them. In fact, according to a survey by Janrain, 57% of consumer respondents are okay with providing personal information on a website as long as it’s for their benefit and being used in responsible ways. A survey by Accenture backs this up: 83% of consumers are willing to share their data to enable a personalized experience.

While there are methods of using anonymous data to personalize customers’ experiences, a rule of thumb many marketers abide by is to only personalize content for a specific customer once they have made the first move. Once a customer has provided their data to you through a fillable form, an inquiry, or some method of contact, then you can continue the relationship by marketing to them on a first name basis.

Xpressdocs Can Help

Personalization in marketing is the future, and Xpressdocs can provide you with the tools and expertise you need to tailor your campaigns for the individuals you interact with. If you’d like to learn more about automated prospect marketing or automated direct mail, reach out to us here.